Conduit anchor for outlet boxes



Jan. 6, 1931. F.- A. GODFREY CONDUIT ANCHOR FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed Oct. 51,1928 ZSheets-Sheet 1 I FT C A Gacf V W W dfio l- Jan. 6, 1931. F. A. GODFREY 1,788,054

CONDUIT ANCHOR FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed Oct. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W (/llorne outlets uisjtemporarily- *fastened I '(I I10l 1tl1= downward) to a ,form board 1011 whichfthe Patented Jan. 6, 1931 serum, .or 'enmxab, armors few: n

mnbemmmagoew "r e1, 19 638. 1 we; in; 316,265; l

general objects aims to fprovidegsimple ana inexpensive means for :latching itheleonduits to an outlet box and for supportingrmfixture stud in operative p sition with .wres ect t @tih Outlet box. 1 t

I In buildings projvided' withconoretelloors,

it is :eustomary to imbed the 'n'eeded outlet boxes .in the lower portions l ofi'these floors,

and :to i mbed the associatedfconduits in the concrete along with thse-outletjboaes. For

this purpose, QQLChybOX needed :for the ceiling concrete is to [be poured, so "as to *fix the in tendedlocationso-fthis=outletbox Theassociated "conduits are ;-then disposed above the form board, with the ends of :the -oonduits projecting through the usual top-onside mpertures in the box, or through :both top and side apertures,

The extent towhich' eaoh conduitie'nte'rszfthe box is usually limitediby a nut threaded on theconduitand disposedfor engagingtheexterior of the box, andi-the conduits are {Cut and bent with'a view'to-havingeaeh;such -nut close to theexterior of the box. vHowever, the conduitsare apt to be 'hent out -o;f; shap e by careless workmen, and thebends iormed in'the'conduits which.extendmhrough thestop of the box-cannotbe accurately predeten mined as tof their shapes, since the =T conduit will Vary 'in theexten't to which-it-springs v back when released from-a conduit bending device;- Consequently, Jsuch conduits are apt to pull either partially or entirely'out of the box. I l v t V v To avoid-this,- an auxiliary looknutma'ybe threaded on the endportion -of-' each conduit for engaging the adjacent inner wall'of :the box, but this is a tedious and di flicult'task, since the "heavy, conduits ihust 'be-raised'ofi the form board to ;-:.per'xn-it the ielectri'oian to reach into the mouth of thefiboxgandsince it.

' in'g-member for this'punpo'se which Wi-llbe so invention} aims to provide an anchoring,

i needed fixture I stud rigidly attached to it,

duit ends -when L-he cannot SeeRthem. i-Thisi diflieulty also diolds true tor the attaching of i the usually needed"centr'al fixturegstudrtolthe; topofthein/verted-outlet;hox. Attempts have, been made to ove'r'come -the major diflioulty of anchoring the oonduits to; the outlet box by prOV-iding a-fiat metal;strip; extending between the downwardly'errteringa v conduits above-the locknutsjwhieh are thread 55 ed on the latter, and nailing this-estrip.-separately to the form-board. In praotice,this has not iproven satisfaotory vfor two {reasonsz' One isthe fa'ct thatvi'n makingsuch astrip; sufficientlynarrow 'tojbe placed yiiree'ly between the eo'nduits even when the latterjare notfcarefully bent, --t he strip onlyn slightly overhangs-eaeh locknutandis aptto let one or moreot the -lockn-uts slip ;past its :edgeif strains tend tollift theconduits, 'Eheotheris due to ,the frequent loosening of the nails which fastenffsuch stripsto the form board. Moreover,,suchtopstripshave not'solved the problem of anchoring conduits extending; throughethe side's of theroutlt'hox. y-My present invention aims to overcome "all of ithe'se "difliculties by providing an "anchoring -memberiarranged so that :it can be att'aehed to *the top of the inverted outlet loox and sothat the attaching-can easily be effected from the exterior of the *box-Withou't raising the latter an'deven without the use of-tools. It also aimsto 'p'rovid'e'an .a'nch'orshaped'asfto overli'ang'a'relativeljy large portion of theoutward face of each dfthe 'locknuts on the downwardly entering conduits; so'thatQno shifting o'fthis mern'berwill per: mit alocknut to slip ;past it. =Moreover,,my

member which will also anehoriaterally entering-conduits'to the outlet box an'done which "anchoring member f-may have the 8-8 of. Fig. 7.

so as to save additional labor in the install- Still further and also more. detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a ceiling outlet box seated on a form board, with four conduits entering its top and three conduits entering the outlet box horizontally, and with an anchoring member of my invention latching allof these conduits against retraction from the box.

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sec tions, taken respectively along the lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to iaportion of Fig. 2, showing the anchoring member as it appears when tilted during the attach ing of it to the top of the outlet box.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the anchor ing member included in Figs. 1 to 1.

Fig. -6 isan enlarged perspective view of the clip Orlatching member used for latching the anchoring member to the outlet box.

Fig. 7 is a' plan view of another form of my anchoring member, namely-one designer for anchoring only the downwardly entering conduits.

Fig. 8 is a section, taken along the line In Figs. 1 and 2, the horizontal form board 1 has seated on it an inverted outlet box of conventional type. This box in eludes lateral walls 3 having apertures, such as the apertures 4, through whichconduits 5 can extend horizontally into the box. The top of the outlet box has the usual four spaced apertures through which conduits 6 can enter the box downwardly, and has a central aperture7 through which a threaded fixture stud 8 can extend freely downward into the box. LocknutsQ are threaded respectively on the laterally entering conduits 5, and locknuts 10 on the downwardly entering. conduits 6, each such locknut being sufiiciently far fromthe inner end of the corresponding conduit to limit the entry of the conduit into the box by the engagement of the locknut with an exterior wall portion of the box.

The top ofthe conduit box also has the usual smaller or auxiliary perforations 12.

intended for allowing nails to be driven down through it, and T utilize two of these auxiliary perforations for permitting my anchoring member to be latched to the box without compelling the installer to reach into the box. This anchoring member-as shown separately in Fig. 5has a crossshaped top portion including a stem 14- of less width than the clear spacing between two of the downwardly entering conduits 6, and two arms 15 transverse of the stem 14, each such arm having a recess 16 adjacent to its juncture with the stem, which recess is shaped for extending close to one-half of the periphery of one of the conduits 6.

Each arm 15 has a side wing 17 depending from its free end, these side wings being spaced by a width sufficiently greater than the width of the outlet box, so that the wings will depend outside the locknuts 9 on the conduits 5 entering the adjacent sides of the box. Each of these side wings is preferably of such'a height as to reach at least down to the level of the axis of the adjacent laterally entering conduit, this being made possible by providing each side wing with a downwardly open recess 18 of slightly larger diameter than the outside diameter of the conduit. Thenl also desirably provide the rear end of t'li e stem 14 of my anchoring member with asimilarly formed and proportioned depending end wing 19, which end wingis spaced from the axis 20 of the transverse arms 15 by such a distance that this wing 19 will depend outside of the nut of the conduit h'which enters that end of the outlet box.

Thus arranged, each of the three depending wings will be disposed for preventing a withdrawal of one of the three laterally entering conduits from the box when the anchoring member is in its operative position of Figs. 1 and'2. To secure the anchoring member in that position, I provide the forward end ofits stem 14 with a depending arm 21v which has a forwardly bent finger 22 at its lower end, making these parts of such a size that the finger can readily be inserted through one of the auxiliary apertures 12 in the box top, and so that the inserted finger'will underhang this box top when the-stem 1 1 of the anchoring member seats on one or more of the locknuts above the top of the box.

Then I provide auxiliary fastening means for cooperating with the said latching finger in securing the anchoring member to the conduit box, for which purpose Fig. 6 shows a substantially T-shaped latching member comprising head 23, a shank 24 adapted to be slipped through a perforation 26 in the anchoring member, and a forwardly directed finger 25 at the lower end of the said shank. The perforation 26 is preferably a slot extending longitudinally of the stem 14 of the anchoring member and the shank 2 1- as well as box; Thus mnsaaeaa; myfehehe e r hat i same-pend meson I ro proviae al'so pro er relation to y eaningconduit l5ox,fI

desirably fast-aria threaded *fixture stad ee conduits 6 when in a tilted p'ositio n' as-sheen,

in $0,218 to insert the forward through the forwardauxiliary aperture 12,

after which the anchoring member isswung down to dispose itin its horizontal position of Figs. 2 and 3. The latching-member (of Fig. 6) is then slipped into position, therebyv securing the anchoring member firmly to the box and simultaneously preventing a if U movement of all seven of the illustrated conouits away from the boX.

Since both the anchoring member and the T latching member are both cheaply 7 made punchings, my attachment forconduit boxes can be manufactured atquite low cost; it

- can also be attached quickly and'without the use of tools. In practice, sufficiently light metal can be used for my attaching member so that this can flex slightly during the attaching of the auxiliary fastening .member,

and the depending wings can be spaced somewhat outwardly of the lateral locknuts, al-

though shown in the drawings as touching i the latter. A

' However, while 'I have heretofore de-' scribed my invention in a highly desirable embodiment, I do not wish to be limitedto the particular shape or details of construction and arrangement thus described. Many vention or from the appended claims. For example, the side wings and the end wing may be omitted when my anchoring member is to be used with conduit boxes in which the conduits all enter through the top of the box. For this purpose, Figs. 7 and 8 show an anchoring member of less shipping weight, in which the stem .30 has four arcuate arms 31 each shaped for overhanging one-half of one of the upper locknuts, and

in which the recesses in these arms all face rearwardly. So also, the fixture stud can be omitted when not needed.

Furthermore, while I have illustrated and described my invention as used in connection with a downwardly open outlet box, it will be obvious that it can be employed equally box having top and lateral apertures, and

having portions'fof the nuts fitted itPOn theconduits extending through: the top apertures; in "the .from these! "l'h -witlrrespectitathe box. changes might obviously be made without departing either from the spirit of my inwithconduit sextending respectively through sluchaperturesinto' the box and each fitted with a nut adjacje'nt' totheexter'iorof the box aiconduitanchoring member having a mam horizontal part overhanging portions of the nuts fittedfupon the "conduits extending tlnough the top apertures-in the bfox and having a sidewe'b depending alonga side ofthe boxhc'lj'aceiit to'the outward face of a nut,

fitted toa conduit extendinginto'th at sideof the boxyandme'ans connecting the'top ofthe box "w'ith' -the' said main part of the conduit anchoring member toprevent upward movemeat of the saidmember w ith respect to the er. se with?downwardly dpe cuuet f ha mgtop andflateralapertures, and with coi'idiiits f extendin downward res-pecti'vely' through such apertures into the box ah fittecl witha 'n'ut adj acent to theextefirebox a conduit anchoring-member 1 main hori zontal pa'rt overhanging boxandhaving a side web dep'ending along'a side'of the box adj acent to the outward {face of a nut'fittedto aconduit extending into that side of the box, the conduit anchoring member having'aportion hooked through another top aperture in the box with the tiip of the saidfportion underhanging the-'top of the box,

and se arately donned means for connecting portionsfofvthe box top a'nd thefanchoring member "which-are both spaced horizontally H ookecl portion, the saidmeans and hooked upward mdvement of theanchoring member 3; A- conduit anchoring ass m'bl-y as per claim :2, f in which .lthewseparately formed means f"OOHipIiSG' a substantially T-shaped fastener :having a head overhanging the an choring member, and having a' shank 'e'xtendingdownwardly through the anchoring member intothe box,"the' shank having'at'itslower endiafinger ben t to'underhang the topofth'e box. a 4.; A;:conduit z-anchoring assembly ts per claimw2, in .which" the separately formed means, comprise a substantially T-shaped fastener; having a head overhanging the ,an

as" a ortion cooperating to prevent chOring-member, andihaving a shank extending downwardlythroughthe anchoring memher. into 'the'abOX, the shank. having a :fin'ger bent'tofunderhang the topof the'box the fastener abeing? sofdrmed as to be insertible when thestem is tilted upwardly'towards the said hooked portion'and the anchoring member havinga formationjdisposedior, latching the head when the latter :is 'thereafter "moved awayfrom-the: said formation. 3

' For use withadownwardly openoutlet box lmvingsp'aced =main apertures in its top, and with -zconduits extending downward Prespectively thioughfithse apertures and each ,4 box having in its top a central aperture and a plurality of conduit apertures radially outward of the central aperture, and with conduits each extending downwardly into the box through one of the conduit apertures v and each fitted with a nut above and adjacent to the said top: a conduit anchoring member having portions each overhanging a part of one of the said nuts and having a threaded stud extending downwardly into the box through the central aperture, and two means at opposite sides of the said stud for connecting the conduit anchoring member with the box top to prevent upward movement of the said member with respectto the box.

7. A conduit anchoring assembly as per claim 6, in which one of the said means is integral with the anchoring member and in which the other thereof is separately formed for attachment after the connecting by the n first named means havebeen efiected.

8. A conduit anchoring assembly as per. claim 6, in which both of the said meansare arranged to atlord hooking engagement with the box top. 7

9. A conduit anchoring assembly as per claim 1, in which each of the nut-overhanging portions of the anchoring member has a substantially semi-circular edge'recess of a radius slightly larger than the external a. radius of one of the conduits, to permit each such portion to overhang substantially half of the body of one of the nuts.

10. For use with a downwardly open outlet box having two parallel rows of conduit apertures in its top and also having apertures in opposite sides of the box, and with conduits extending into the box through the respective apertures and each fitted with a nut adjacent to the exterior of the box: a conduit anchoring member comprising a main part having recessed portions each overhanging one of the nuts on the conduits extending through the apertures in the top of the box, and having two wings respectively depending at opposite sides of the box outward of the nuts on the conduits extending respectively through the said side apertures of the box, each of the wings having a downwardly open recess closely approaching the adjacent condult; and two horizontally spaced fastening means directly connecting the box top with the main part of the anchoring member to retain the latter in its said disposition.

- 11 A conduit anchoring assemblage as per claim 10, inwhieh each of the said recessed portions and recesses is formed so that the portion of the anchoring member adjacent thereto extends adjacent to one half of the outer face of one of the nuts.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, October 27th,

FRED A. GODFREY. 

